The archrival Kansas City Chiefs, whom the Silver and Black will host on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, are the team that the Las Vegas, Oakland, and Los Angeles Raiders have had several players who were also members of.
They have included center Rodney Hudson; tight end Ethan Horton; running back Clem Daniels; defensive backs Dave Grayson, Albert Lewis, and Marcus Peters; quarterbacks Cotton Davidson, Rich Gannon, and Tom Flores, who later led the Raiders to two Super Bowl victories; and defensive end John Matuszak.
However, the best player to wear the Silver and Black, plus the Red and Gold, was Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen.
When Marcus Allen was chosen as the Raiders’ greatest running back ever in 2020, Barry Warner of the Touchdown Wire wrote, “Marcus Allen played 11 years with the Raiders, making the Pro Bowl five times and earning NFL MVP honors in 1985 after tallying 2,314 total yards from scrimmage.” “In 2003, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame after leading the Raiders to victory in Super Bowl XVIII. Even though Allen saw little playing time after the 1985 season, the Raiders valued him as a blocker and receiver.
Despite some in the league believing he wasn’t fast enough to be a great back in the pros, the 6-2, 210-pound Allen had a stellar career at USC and was selected by the Raiders with the 10th overall pick of the 1982 NFL Draft. He also won the 1981 Heisman Trophy.
Boy, did he disprove those who had doubts?
During his strike-shortened rookie campaign, Allen caught 38 passes for 401 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 697 yards and 11 touchdowns on 160 carries, good for an average of 4.4 yards. The Raiders finished 8-1, and Allen was named 1982 NFL Rookie of the Year.
In his first full season, Allen ran for 1,014 yards and nine touchdowns; in his second, he scored 13 touchdowns on 1,168 yards; and in 1985, he ran for a career-high 1,759 yards and eleven touchdowns. He also caught 64 passes for 758 yards and five touchdowns, 67 passes for 555 yards and three, and 68 passes for 590 yards and two touchdowns during those three years.
During the Raiders’ 38-9 rout of the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII on Jan. 22, 1984, Allen ran for 191 yards, caught two passes for 18 yards, and scored two touchdowns, one on a brilliant 74-yard touchdown run and was selected at the game’s Most Valuable Player.
After a highly publicized falling out with Raiders owner Al Davis, Allen split the running back duties with Bo Jackson from 1987 to 1990, demonstrating his exceptional blocking ability. Allen played his final five seasons with the fierce rival Kansas City Chiefs before leaving the team in 1993.
During his 11-year tenure with the Raiders, Allen accumulated 13,060 yards rushing.
In a recorded interview that aired on Monday Night Football in 1992, Allen said to Al Michaels, “I think (Davis) tried to ruin the latter part of my career, tried to devalue me.” He’s attempting to prevent me from induction into the Hall of Fame. They desire that I not place
